Omenn details Med Center Initiatives

By Jane R. Elgass

Five new initiatives at the Medical Center were outlined for the
Regents at their November meeting by Gilbert Omenn, executive vice
president for medical affairs.

Omenn noted in his presentation that there were "several
activities percolating on the academic side" when he arrived in
September and that he decided to "package several initiatives that
were ripe for decision to send a message about investment." He added
that taken together, the projects "touch education, the underpinnings
of our clinical operations and basic research and clinical
applications."

The initiatives are:

A series of biomedical sciences scholars recruitment efforts.
Omenn noted that the U-M stands in good stead in appointment of its
faculty as Howard Hughes investigators, "and we want to build up on
our own that quality of research leader." These efforts also will
involve LS&A and the other health sciences units.

A center for gene therapy. This research center will be headed by
Gary Nabel, the Henry Sewell Professor of Medicine and professor of
internal medicine and of biological chemistry. The Center will draw
on the strengths of a variety of units and build on the excellent
base already established in core laboratories.

Further development of work in organogenesis, which studies the
development of organs and is crucial to understanding and preventing
birth defects. Funding has been contributed by the provost and a
foundation is interested in the program, which will permit the
appointment of a full-time senior director.

A focus on health services research that will look at such things
as outcomes of medical care and public health intervention, patient
satisfaction, quality of life for patients while under care and for
the rest of their lives, cost effectiveness and system performance,
all of which are "essential to the efficient operation of the Health
System and a rich area for research," Omenn said. This is an
initiative of all the health sciences deans and is supported by the
provost, and will be led by John Wheeler, chair of the Department of
Health Management and Policy.

Omenn noted that these efforts "will complement the intense work"
in looking at these things being done by the clinical fields with an
eye to clinical redesign for better and more cost-effective care.

Creating coherence in the basic sciences. There currently are six
basic sciences departments in the Medical School-anatomy and cell
biology, biological chemistry, microbiology and immunology,
pharmacology, immunogenetics, and physiology. "When you look at these
research-wise," Omenn said, "the area is easily described as a
convergence to cellular or molecular biology."

He noted that several top universities have combined these
activities under a single umbrella, making it easier for them to
recruit top students. "The faculty have the challenge of recruiting
the students," Omenn noted, adding that it is a good market test that
gives students a choice and will put the U-M in a league with other
schools that have taken this step.

This effort will be led by David Dawson, associate chair of the
Department of Physiology. Omenn expressed hope that those working on
the project will be "bold and imaginative" in reprogramming existing
resources and training grants and tapping new funding provided by his
office.